Sales of electric vehicles (EV's) are increasing dramatically and will continue to increase in the years to come. Their batteries are powerful and can supply electricity back to one's home or the grid, some powering entire homes for 3 or more days! This can not only provide resilience in times of emergency but can also serve to reduce the need for electricity generation capacity. Electric vehicle batteries can also provide electricity storage after they have been retired from the vehicle. But only if the technology and standards are mandated to ensure that they can move electricity safely in both directions.
With the increase in EV sales it is important to mandate this bidirectional capability as soon as we can. HB 6178 was introduced in November 2023 to mandate bidirectional capability by 2027. This should be a bipartisan bill as we all can gain by ensuring bidirectional charging as soon as possible.